


The Road Not Taken

by black_tea



Series: The Masks We Wear [9]
Category: Mindhunter (TV 2017)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Bureaucracy At Its Finest, Case Fic, Case Related Referenced Child Abuse, Family Planning, M/M, alpha!Bill Tench, life decisions, omega!Holden Ford, workplace sexism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:08:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27697411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/black_tea/pseuds/black_tea
Summary: The body of a teenage girl takes Bill and Holden to Texas where small town secrets and politics make for a tangled case. However, not all is well in Virginia either, as Gunn is forced to deal with a new set of policies regarding the Bureau's omega employees. Workplace changes, though frustrating, do open up an unexpected door should Holden decide to walk through.Set around a year and a half after 'Pandora's Box'.
Relationships: Holden Ford/Bill Tench
Series: The Masks We Wear [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1803040
Comments: 20
Kudos: 43





	1. Not All Is Well In Texas

**Author's Note:**

> I went back and forth trying to decide whether I wanted to write this next story arc as one long fic, or split it into multiple stories as I have been. I decided that the first two stories should at least be posted separately, since there's a mix of things going on in them between work and family stuff. This story is still on the longer side for me at around 19K. It's completely roughed out, and the remaining chapters just need editing. I have the rough draft of the second story about 2/3 done.

The late spring sun beat down on Holden bringing with it the promise of summer, the heat sticking his dress shirt to his back. He had ditched his suit jacket and kept the sunglasses, but they were the only concessions to the Texas weather. He looked behind him at the behemoth oil drills in the distance and ahead to the I-45. “So close to civilization, but a million miles away,” he said.

“Yep,” the detective beside them agreed. “Cry for help, no one's going to hear you, and there's no where to run to. We've been turning up bodies here for nearly a decade now.”

“And no one knew the victim was missing?” Bill asked.

“She got herself pregnant, and her parents kicked her out. She was a troubled kid, and they finally drew a line in the sand. I'm sure they never expected her to turn up as a murder victim. Once things cooled off, she probably would have ended up back at home again. Her body hadn't been here long – no more than a week.” 

Insects whirred in the brush and somewhere a small animal called out. Holden found it a lonely place, and it was all too easy to see why it might become a favorite kill and body dump site for whatever psychopaths were passing through. “Do you think she's the victim of a serial murderer?”

“Possibly, yes,” Detective Hanley said. “It's likely a number of the bodies found here are, but there's no way to know for sure. It could be someone who knew about this place's reputation and decided to take advantage.”

“With this much area, you're lucky to have found her in a week.” Like Holden, Bill was taking in the empty, desolate landscape. 

_Roughly twenty five acres where a serial murderer can do his business uninterrupted._ Holden wondered idly how many other places such as this existed around the US. Little empty pockets scattered here and there, close enough to civilization to be accessible, but isolated enough that no one would ever know.

“A couple of people were letting their dogs run off leash. The dogs found the body.”

Bill squinted against the midday sun just passing its peak as the day moved into afternoon. “We'd like to speak to the family – just to make sure we aren't missing anything.”

“That shouldn't be a problem. They're good folks. Most of the community knows them, half the officers go to church with them. It's one of the reasons we really want to get this solved. Not that we wouldn't anyway, but when it's people you know...it makes it that much harder.”

“I completely understand,” Bill agreed, walking over to stand near Holden. “What do you think?”

Holden glanced at his mate. _That kicking out your pregnant, 17 year old daughter doesn't make you a good person._ “That we need to compare the method the killer used against the other bodies found here. There could be a connection, and most of those murders are still unsolved. As a young woman, she fits the demographic of the other bodies. As a teenager on her own, she was likely an easy target.”

Back at the police station, Bill spread out the photos from the crime scene across the desk they had been given for the duration of their stay. They began going through the files for the other victims recovered from that area.

“She wasn't bound like these two,” Holden said. “And several of the remains were skeletal – there was no way to know if there had been soft tissue damage.” He thought for a few moments. “It doesn't seem like there was anything methodical about Beth Ann's killing. It was brutal, and messy, not cold and calculated.”

“Personal,” Bill agreed.

“Yes. If feels that way. Someone got her pregnant, and it's possible they weren't happy about the idea of a baby.”

“And they decided to take care of things.” Bill sighed. “The thought crossed my mind as well. Supposedly no one here knows who the father is, but someone has to have some idea. We need to talk to the family. Maybe someone will remember something.”

* * *

The Crawfords lived in a midsized well kept house, situated on a perfectly manicured lawn. The inside was also well kept. It was the space of well ordered people living well ordered lives. Maybe. They had been driven to the grieving family by Officer Chastin, and upon arrival Bill and Holden found themselves faced with the Betty Crawford, her husband Richard Crawford, and the husband's brother, Dale Crawford. A small girl of about nine made a brief appearance only to flee to the safety of the kitchen as soon as she could escape. The adults seemed unsurprised to see them. They had the air of people presenting a united front.

“We told the police everything we know, which unfortunately wasn't much. We didn't have any contact with Beth Ann in nearly two months.” Richard smiled, but the expression seemed confined to his mouth. There was a wariness around his eyes. His wife sat on the sofa, gaze casts downward next to the uncle who sat silent and impassive.

“When you kicked her out?” Holden asked, and Bill couldn't tell if his mate didn't realize how that sounded, or if it was intentional. Chastin stiffened and eyed Holden with disapproval.

“My partner is just trying to ascertain the facts. We realize you've been through this already, but we want to make sure we aren't missing anything. And sometimes going through it all again can help jog memories,” Bill cut in smoothly. “This shouldn't take too much time.”

“Of course, won't you have a seat?” He gestured to the two arm chairs as he took a seat between his wife and brother. This left Chastin standing, and Bill wasn't sure he enjoyed the sensation of the officer looming behind them.

Holden pulled out a notebook and pen, ready to take notes. “So you last had contact with your daughter when?” He asked, voice and manner polite.

“It would have been the middle of March. The seventeenth.” Richard answered.

“And you didn't receive any phone calls after that? Any communication at all?”

“No sir. We assumed she had been staying with friends.” The way he said 'friend' made it clear he thought them anything but.

“Do you know who her friends were? How they might be contacted?” Bill asked, glancing at the other two silent family members.

Richard sighed. “She hung with a rough crowd, not the type of people you invite over for dinner, if you know what I mean.”

Bill noticed Holden glance towards the door to the kitchen where the little girl had disappeared. “Can you think of anyone at all that might have spoken to her since she left home?” 

When Richard sighed and shrugged, Holden cut in. “We were told that she was pregnant at the time of her death. Do you know who the father was?” The atmosphere in the room became tense, and Bill wasn't sure if it was because they knew who the father was, or if the very question offended their sensibilities. 

“I'm afraid we don't.” Betty Crawford answered before her husband could speak for the little group. “Unfortunately, she was never very open with us, and she knew we'd disapprove.”

 _She probably knew you'd throw her out on the street._ Bill thought to himself, unimpressed. He didn't know what to make of the family. Nothing they said or did was overtly suspicious, but their manner didn't seem quite right. _Then again, they were estranged from their daughter. That has to create some complex feelings._

“There is one character you could try. Uh, James...James Gruden. Bad boy type, been in and out of trouble since forever. Pretty sure she got drugs from him.” The uncle had been so silent, that it almost surprised Bill to hear him speak. “I don't know how much they had to do with each other, but we caught her with weed before, and he's the one locals go to for that kind of thing.”

Holden jotted down the name. “Thank you, that could prove helpful.”

Betty dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. “I know we weren't on good terms, but we had hoped with some tough love, she might pull herself together. We never expected...this.” Richard reached out and grasped his wife's hand.

“No one does, ma'am,” Bill replied. “You've hinted that she's been in trouble before. What can you tell us about her? It might help us figure out who she was with.”

Richard sighed. “Willful, got worse as she got older. Talked back, lied, snuck out, her grades fell. We'd get calls from the school saying she wasn't in class. We tried to get her more involved with the church, but she had no interest. Eventually our worst fear came to pass – she got herself pregnant.” He looked downcast, but there was little emotion in his voice. “We have another daughter, and we didn't want Beth Ann influencing her. So we asked her to leave. Made it clear she would be welcome back, if she cleaned up and followed our rules.”

Betty sniffled at that, and the uncle's gaze flicked away. Bill made a mental note to ask around at the high school, if the drug dealer didn't have the answers they needed. He didn't voice this, however. Something felt off, and he decided it might be safer if they held their cards close to their chest.

* * *

Bill stared at the photo of Beth Ann as if she could tell him what happened. She was an average looking girl, rather pretty, but not what most people would consider a beauty. Her nose was a little too big, her face a little too round, but she had a cute smile, and a mass of strawberry blond hair. He slipped the photo back into the file, setting it on the beside table and turned to Holden who was stretched out on his back next to him.

“I'm trying to imagine what it must feel like to be pregnant and having to face your parents, but it's not quite the same. Most people just assume omegas can't control themselves, so we're more likely to get a pass.”

Bill leaned forward to brush his lip's against Holden's. “You really can't help it.” The chance of conceiving a child during heat was high, and an omega in heat wasn't going to be able to say 'no.'

“But if the omega made the decision to expose himself to an alpha knowing he was going into heat?”

“Then the omega in question would have greater responsibility in the outcome. But unsuppressed heat is hard on omegas, it's more understandable. Omegas have a harder time than average beta teenagers. I know you're aware of this.” Bill gently stroked his mate's face. “Omega's have a higher mating drive than teenage girls do.”

Holden's eyes closed at his touch. “I do know that, but at the same time...” His voice trailed off as he searched for the right words.

“For what it's worth, I agree with you. I would never throw my kid out of the house to fend for themselves, because they made a mistake that's all too easy for hormonal teens to make.” He leaned forward again, pressing his mouth against Holden's. “You're a good father to Brian.” Seeing family situations like the Crawford's, made him realize just how lucky he had been in his choice of mate.

Holden smiled at that. “He's a good kid.” His expression sobered. “I don't like Beth Ann's parents. They say all the right things, but something's not right. You'd think they'd be desperate to catch their daughter's killer, but they didn't want us there. They were tense and uneasy.”

Bill thought back to the interview. “Maybe, but the relationship with their daughter was strained before she turned up dead. That might be affecting their behavior. It's also not uncommon for a man to kill his girlfriend over an unwanted pregnancy,” he reminded Holden before he got too wrapped up in his own theories regarding her parents.

“I'm not saying we shouldn't look into that, but I'm not ready to exclude the family either. They could see Beth Ann's behavior as a threat to their standing in the community.”

“We'll talk to her drug dealer tomorrow. Maybe he's the father, or at least, maybe he knows who she's been hanging around with.”

“That was strange too. Her parents aren't going to know everyone she interacts with, but you'd think they'd be able to give us information on at least some of her friends. Maybe the sister? She's younger, but Beth Ann might have told her things that she didn't tell her parents,” Holden suggested.

“That's not a bad idea. We'll start with the drug dealer and go from there. If he doesn't work out, we should check out the school. Her teachers should have some idea who she liked to hang around with.”

* * *

“What do you all want to talk to me about?” James Gruden asked. He lounged back in his chair, appearing unphased by his environment or the two FBI agents wanting to ask him questions. “I'm just a small time guy. I can't imagine the FBI cares that I sold the occasional bag of weed or pills.” He looked older than his twenty four years, not bad looking, if rough around the edges. Holden didn't believe his confidence was as rock solid as James might want them to believe.

“We aren't here about recreational substances,” Bill said. “We heard that you knew a girl named Beth Ann Crawford.”

“Beth? I've seen her around before. She showed up at parties sometimes, but we were never close. I haven't seen her in, oh, two months or so.” Tension bled from James' frame. Whatever he had been worried about, it wasn't Beth.

“Beth's body was found a week ago.” Holden placed the crime scene photo down in front of a surprised looking James. “She was found not far from the Calder Oil Field.”

“What was she doing back here? She had been heading off to Houston, the last time I saw her.”

“Why Houston?” Bill asked.

James shrugged. “It's a bigger city. She thought she could make some money there, and she didn't give the impression that she liked it here much. Some trouble with her folks, I think. But again, I never knew her that well. She was hardly going to spill out all her secrets to me.”

“It's possible she never made it that far,” Holden pointed out. “She didn't have a car.”

James hesitated, and at that moment, Holden knew he was holding something back. “Do you know something about where she went, or who she was with?”

James seemed to come to some kind of decision. He sat forward, hands clasped loosely in front of him on the table. “If I tell you what I know, can you do something for me? I have a trial coming up, and I could use a good word. It's not like I'm public enemy number one.”

“No, just some low life selling drugs to kids.” Bill snorted.

“Well, you can think what you like, but if you want me to scratch your back, you'll have to scratch mine.” He sat back again attempting to look haughty.

“We can let the DA's office know you've been cooperative. Besides, it's in your best interest to tell us what you know. Otherwise people might start to suspect that you had something to do with her death.” Holden's tone was earnest.

“Now wait a minute, I didn't kill that girl. Why would I? What lunatic murders his customers? Someone who wants to go broke, that's who. Besides, she didn't hurt nobody.”

“Then let's get this all cleared up,” Bill encouraged.

James sighed. “I know she made it to Houston, because I drove her there. I was going that way myself, my brother lives there. You can call and check, if you like. In return for the ride, we had a little adult fun time in the back seat.” Bill rolled his eyes at that. “She was alive and well when I left her. She had a backpack and small duffle bag with her. I never heard from her or saw her after that. As I said, we weren't that close.”

“Were you aware she was pregnant at the time?”

“What? Beth? No. Look, we didn't sleep together regular. The ride to Houston was the only time aside from a little fooling around once. We weren't dating or nothing. I'm not sure who she was with, honestly. I never saw her with a boy, but that doesn't mean anything. She had kind of a reputation, but I don't think she stayed with any one guy long.”

“He seemed genuinely surprised when I showed him the photograph.” Holden said, as they stood outside the interview room. Officer Chastin stood with them, arms folded across his chest. Part of Holden's awareness remained on the alpha, something about his scent was off...nervous or on edge, and between Holden and Bill, he was a little too focused on Holden for the omega's comfort.

“His rap sheet doesn't include anything violent aside from a bar brawl. It's mostly possession, and it looks like he broke into a car when he was younger. I don't know that I see him murdering someone with so much brute force,” Bill agreed. “He's a loser, but not a killer.”

“If he could beat up someone in a bar fight, why couldn't he beat to death some poor girl. She's a lot smaller than some angry drunk guy,” Chastin pointed out after a pause. Again, something in his manner felt off to Holden. He might not as readily have noticed it, if Chastin had been a beta, but Holden was better at reading alpha body language and scent cues. He tucked away that knowledge for later, deciding he didn't fully trust the officer.

“There's a difference between engaging in a drunken fight with another man, and abducting and beating a girl to death.” Holden replied. “That level of brutality suggests that the murder was personal in some way. Gruden didn't seem to be that personally involved with her.”

“We need to find out who the baby's father was,” Bill said. “The victim had to have friends, people she told things too.”

“It's strange that no one knows who they are. I can understand Gruden not wanting to potentially turn in his customers, and he didn't know her that well,” Holden mused out loud. “You'd think her family would be able to give us at least a few names.” Chastin shifted his weight, leaning slightly closer to Holden. A small gesture, it didn't have to mean anything, but Holden had the sense of being loomed over. Or he might have, had he been average height for an omega. Holden's longer frame diminished the effect considerably, but he had the sense that Chastin was attempting to subtly intimidate him. _Consciously, or unconsciously? What's been getting him worked up? Is it just the idea of an omega in law enforcement, or is he nervous about something? He definitely wants Gruden to be the killer._ Holden was used to working around alphas, and he was well practiced when it came to ignoring his instincts to back down or submit, so he declined to react.

Bill seemed to sense that something was going on, as a look of concern briefly passed over his face, and he stood straighter. Chastin seemed to take the hint and took a step back, removing himself from Holden's space. It was all a subtle interplay of scent and body language that most betas would miss, if they weren't paying close attention. 

“We should check in with Gruden's brother just to make sure he was in Houston when he said he was,” Bill said, not verbally acknowledging Chastin's behavior. “Then we need to find out why she came back here.”

“Maybe she came back for the baby's father,” Holden suggested as they turned to walk back to their work space. “She could have tried hitchhiking back, and got in the car with the wrong person.” He kept a half an eye on Chastin who seemed to relax again. _Interesting._

“That would make sense,” Bill agreed. “We need to track down someone who knows more about her personal life.”


	2. Home and Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gunn isn't pleased with the Human Resources department, and Bill and Holden add another suspect to their list.

Gunn read through the missive from the HR Branch a third time, a slight frown forming. He didn't know quite what to make of it. The communication was attempting to codify omega's potential roles within the FBI. He supposed it shouldn't surprise him that someone within the organization would finally notice omegas existed and might go looking to the bureau for employment. In the past they had been ignored. There just weren't enough of them, and they mostly worked in administrative support positions that didn't require a college degree. No one bothered to come up with specific policies related to them, since no one expected them to be anything more than office help.

This blind spot perhaps wasn't desirable in the long term, but it had benefited Gunn since it allowed Agent Ford to fly under the radar. “Those days may be coming to an end,” he murmured to himself. Sure the new policies laid out in black and white the various positions deemed acceptable to ambitious omegas who had received college educations – paralegals, forensics, finance, linguistics. A huge step up from from office staff, but what the policies didn't include worried Gunn. There was no mention of acceptance into the Academy, nothing about a path to becoming a Special Agent for those so inclined. They were positions that would largely be considered safe. _They want to make it clear that they aren't discriminating against omegas, but they're operating under the assumption that they need to be protected. What does that mean for omegas that squeaked by and achieved Special Agent status?_

On one hand the positions that would accept omega applicants were skilled and far above being someone's secretary or a file clerk. They opened up an entirely new realm of opportunity for omegas within the Bureau. But Gunn hadn't gotten to where he was without a first hand knowledge of politics and understanding that you shouldn't didn't take things at face value. It would be easy to see this as a win. Except that it wasn't entirely. It left in limbo any omega who had reached Special Agent status. That Gunn had one working under him in the BSU concerned him. Holden was very good at what he did, a fact which more than made up for some of his other difficulties. He could easily have him continue his work, but alter his job description to keep him at Quantico where there would be little threat to his perceived safety. However, that seemed unfair to Holden himself whose status had never been an insurmountable issue, and it limited the use of the BSU's best tool. _Stupid, stupid and short sighted._ Gunn thought, feeling a little disgruntled.

He sighed, picked up the phone, and arranged a meeting with the head of the HR division.

* * *

“I think we should talk to the family again.” Holden and Bill sat in the rental car outside the police station. “But without Chastin. In fact, I don't think we should let him know. Someone tipped off the Crawfords we were coming the first time.”

“You think it was him?” Bill wasn't entirely surprised. Like Holden, he had picked up on the alpha officer's odd conduct. Chastin's behavior in some ways reminded him of Holden's when Holden was attempting to hide his omega instincts, but they bled through. 

“He's been acting...off, especially when we bring up the Crawford's. I'm also getting the feeling he doesn't like me, or approve of me, or something.” Holden made a face.

“Because that's never happened before,” Bill teased, though he understood what his mate was getting at. It hadn't taken long to ascertain that Gruden had been to Houston to visit his brother during the time period in question. This didn't completely mark Gruden off as a possible suspect, but it did indicate that he wasn't lying right out of the gate. Chastin hadn't looked happy about it. He really seemed to want attention anywhere but the Crawfords.

Holden shook his head. “Not like that. I didn't do anything to piss him off, it's something about me. It's weird. I've worked with plenty of alpha's, and they don't usually respond like this way. They can be paternalistic and overprotective, but they aren't like _this.”_

Bill agreed. It wasn't uncommon for an alpha's protectiveness to infringe on an omega's autonomy, but alphas and omegas also shared the experience of not being betas. Despite their differences, they were the same people. In the work place some alphas were guilty of underestimating omegas, but they usually didn't mind working with them. 

“They usually know better than to try and pull dominance bullshit. For what it's worth, I don't think he intended to do it. The jackass was trying not to, but couldn't quite keep it in check.”

“We never talked to Beth Ann's sister. I know she was younger, but she might know things about her big sister that her parents don't. But I don't know if she'd tell us with her parents in the room with her. She looked scared when we were there before.”

“Of course she was. Her sister has been murdered, and strange men are coming and going from the house,” Bill pointed out. Some things did have an easy explanation.

“Probably,” Holden admitted. “But it bothers me that no one seems to have spent any time checking out the Crawfords.”

“Local politics at work. The Crawfords are well liked and well known in the community. I imagine it wouldn't go over well, if word got out they were under investigation for brutally murdering one of the children.” He glanced over at his mate. “I know you don't like them, and I don't completely disagree with you. We're going to have to tread carefully around them. If they complain to the police, we'll be out.”

“You think they might be responsible?”

Bill shrugged. “I don't know, but sad to say, a lot of kids end up dead at the hands of family. That they were never looked into bothers me. It's a loose end that doesn't need to be hanging out there.” He wasn't ready to jump to any conclusions. There was a good chance that the Crawfords were innocent of the crime. However, Bill felt that they might not have been entirely forthcoming either. Perhaps there was embarrassment involved. “They could just be trying to keep Beth Ann's problems hush hush. That doesn't help either.” He sighed. “We'll try the school, and then go back to the family.”

“I don't know if we should bring Chastin along for this one.”

Bill hesitated a moment as he weighed the pros and cons of their potential courses of action. “If the local guys feel like we're intentionally cutting them out of the investigation, it could cause problems. I don't think we should risk alienating them yet.”

Holden sighed. “I see your point, but....”

“I doubt he'll cause much trouble, and as they say, keep your enemies close.”

* * *

As they walked through the empty halls of the high school, the students all in class, Holden was reminded of his own school experiences. He never liked school. He did well academically, but an omega who didn't act like an omega didn't fit in anywhere. His bookish tendencies hadn't helped either. He wasn't bullied much after middle school - by the time ninth grade rolled around, students had sorted themselves out into their own groups and mostly ignored outsiders. But even if high school hadn't been untenable, it was a bland existence largely devoid of the social experiences that made those years interesting for his fellows. He dated a few girls who had been attracted to the idea of him as someone who was safe, unaggressive by nature, and unlikely to accidentally get them pregnant. His inability to relate to them and their desire for more than 'sweet' kept the relationships fleeting.

Their footsteps echoed off the empty locker lined hall, their shoes squeaking against the linoleum as they made their way to the principle's office. Holden turned towards Bill. “Spend much time here?”

“Only a little.” Bill smiled, glancing at his mate. “You probably had your nose too stuck in a book to get into trouble.”

“That's fairly accurate,” Holden admitted. 

Behind them Chastin chuckled. “Let's just say I was quite well acquainted with this office and detention.”

_The question is, how much of those tendencies did you carry into adulthood?_ Holden pegged Chastin as was one of those alphas that was trouble. The kind that reveled in the tough guy stereotype and gave his instincts more rein than he should. Holden assumed that part of Chastin's hostility towards him was due in part to Holden turning the omega stereotype on it's head, therefore challenging alpha/omega stereotypes in general. Chastin wasn't an asshole because of his status. His personality was to blame, and being an alpha made a convenient excuse.

The principle had them wait while he called in Beth Ann's English teacher. “She hasn't been in class for several months,” Chastin said. “Not sure how much help this is going to be.”

“It's the end of the school year now, so she spent most of the year in Mrs. Deel's class,” Holden pointed out. 

Mrs Deel turned out to be a friendly, middle aged woman who did, in fact, remember Beth Ann clearly. “She was memorable, that one. It's so sad what happened to her.” Holden noted that she did look genuinely saddened by her passing.

“You said she was memorable. How so?” Bill asked.

“She didn't think much of school or authority, but she was a smart girl. You just had to keep her engaged. She actually did fairly well in my class. But...you could tell she wasn't a happy kid. I don't know if it was just teenage growing pains or something going on at home, but her problems in school didn't come from lack of smarts.”

“Mrs. Deel,” Holden began. “Do you know who she used to hang around with, or if she had a boyfriend?”

“I couldn't tell you if she had a boyfriend or not. She talked to the Thompson girl a fair amount – Rebecca. They didn't seem that much a like. Rebecca is a straight laced type, and Beth Ann...wasn't, but they seemed to get a long.”

“OK, we'll need to get in contact with Rebecca.”

They stopped by Rebecca's house that afternoon while both she and her mother were home, since she was a minor. It also seemed luck was on their side when Chastin was called away to deal with a brawl between neighbors that had gotten ugly. Pleased to be free of the dead weight and feeling like they might be getting somewhere, Holden's mood improved remarkably.

“I can't believe she's dead,” Rebecca said, her long dark hair framing a sad pretty face. “We were friends since first grade.”

“Where you aware she was pregnant when she was killed?” Holden asked.

Rebecca stared straight ahead for a moment, as if steeling herself. “Yes. Her supposedly God fearing parents threw her out of the house. What's so Christian about abandoning your own child?” She asked in a low angry voice. “They screwed her up so bad, I don't blame her for getting out of here.”

“You knew about her leaving for Houston?”

Rebecca nodded. “Yeah. I didn't want her to go. I understood, but it seemed like a bad idea. But...she wasn't doing well, hadn't been for awhile.”

“What do you mean by that?” Bill asked.

She shrugged. “She was angrier, and just didn't seem to care about anything anymore. She was always kind of wild, but she was taking it to a whole nother level. We had different sets of friends, so I can't tell you much about them, except that they liked to party. I think that was the only reason Beth hung around with them.”

“Did she ever tell you who the baby's father was?” Holden hoped Rebecca knew. She seemed to know something that she wasn't in a rush to tell them. Something in her manner, her expression, the way she spoke suggested she was holding something back.

“I don't think she had a serious boyfriend...but...” Her voice trailed off, and she looked uncomfortable.

“Whatever it is, you can tell us. She's gone now, and we just want to find out what happened to her.” Bill reassured the girl. 

Rebecca glanced to where her mother was standing in the corner of the kitchen, quietly overseeing the proceedings. “I think you should look real hard at her family.”

“Rebecca,” her mother interrupted warningly.

Rebecca bit her lip, looked at her mother and then back at Bill. “Especially her uncle.”

“I know you were friends, but she was a troubled girl, and the Crawford's are good people. Everyone in the community knows them,” Mrs. Thompson cut in again, attempting to appeal to Bill.

“They didn't treat her the way good people treat their kids,” Rebecca objected, sullenness creeping into her tone. She turned her attention back to Bill and Holden. “She didn't like being alone with him, and didn't want me over when he was there. No one wants to believe the Crawford's would do anything bad, but something was going on. I know something was going on,” she insisted. 

“I told you they didn't seem right,” Holden said as they climbed into the car. 

Bill glanced at him. “Don't jump too far ahead. We haven't looked into the uncle yet, and we're going to have to proceed with care. It seems people around here are invested in believing the sun shines out of the Crawford's assholes.” 

“It could explain why she was so eager to get out of town. He uncle had been abusing her for who knows how long, she knows no one is going to believe her, so the best thing she can think of is to get as far away from him as possible...but she came back...because she couldn't support herself in Houston? She wanted to confront her uncle or try to make people believe the abuse happened? She could have presented a threat to him. Even if the police didn't believe Beth Ann or act on her accusations, it could still tarnish his reputation.” Holden thought for a moment.

“He could be the father,” he added. “That's what Rebecca was trying to say without saying too much in front of her mother.”

“Careful,” Bill warned. “We don't have any proof of this. Rebecca might be onto something, but the police aren't going to automatically take her word for it.” He reached out to lay a hand on Holden's knee for emphasis. “It's also possible he was a sick fuck who abused his niece, but didn't have anything to do with her death. We don't know enough yet.” He gave Holden's knee a gentle shake.

Holden laid a hand over Bill's, gently stroking the back with his thumb. “Men who molest children don't usually stop at one victim. There could be others out there. We don't know when the abuse would have started, but there could be others before Beth Ann.”

“I admit, I would like to know more about Dale Crawford. Just let me do the talking when we get back to the station.”

Holden frowned. “We have the perfect opportunity to speak to the family without Chastin, if we go now.” 

“True, but I don't want to confront them without more information.”

* * *

In Bill's mind Dale Crawford had made it onto their painfully short list of suspects. If Rebecca was correct, he had just as much reason, if not more, to murder Beth Ann than Gruden did. However, they had nothing concrete to give the police aside from the suspicions of a teenage girl. He eyed Holden who had mostly reverted back to beta mode as they entered the police station. Just as Chastin slipped up, so did Holden. Though Chastin was just being an ass, while Holden was rather sweet. _Sweet or not, he's like a dog with a bone when he gets something in his head. The police are not going to take kindly to being steamrolled by an FBI agent._

Bill, Holden in tow, made his way to the head of the investigation, Detective Stevenson. Stevenson came off like a reasonable man. Bill had some hopes of being able to talk him round to investigating Dale Crawford, if the topic was broached with care, without laying too much blame too quickly. He brought Stevenson up to speed while dancing around the topic of Dale.

“I really think we need to look more carefully at the family.” He held up a hand to forestall Stevenson's objections. “Just hear me out. I'm not saying they had anything to do with this, but we need to make sure we're covering all our bases. It's also possible that they may be holding information back that they see as sensitive or embarrassing.”

Stevenson frowned. “I don't want to put a grieving family through any more pain than necessary. They're victims too. They lost a daughter.”

“In the interest of being fully transparent, it was suggested to us that we investigate Dale Crawford. Apparently his relationship with his niece was...perhaps not a happy one,” Bill carefully admitted.

“Dale? I'm sorry, but I can't see Dale doing anything like this. Why would he?”

Holden cut in before Bill could stop him. “He might not have. It could just be a rumor. However, if we leave loose ends, and you end up taking a suspect to trial, it could be ammunition for the defense.”

Bill heaved an internal sigh of relief at his mate's ability to bullshit. Stevenson seemed to be considering Holden's point. “We'll be discreet, of course,” Bill assured him, “and any other leads should be followed up on as well.”

Stevenson sighed. “I can see your point, especially in a murder investigation. Just...be careful. The Crawfords are well thought of in the community and have connections to a lot of our local institutions. Public accusation won't be taken well.”

“Of course, we'll treat the Crawfords with the utmost care.” Bill smiled.


	3. Past History Present Crimes...Maybe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill and Holden start digging into some family history.

Holden pinned a picture of Dale Crawford to the board next to Gruden. One supposedly solid citizen and his complete opposite, or that was how it looked at first glance. Appearances could be deceiving. Holden didn't see Gruden as a likely killer. He had no real motive for the crime, unless he was driven by compulsion. However, there was nothing in his background that suggested any real similarity to the men he and Bill had been interviewing over the past few years. He was a petty criminal and a nuisance, but by all accounts, he wasn't a particularly violent man.

Dale on the other hand... no one liked to think that the monster might be so close to home, but it happened. _What lengths would the Crawfords go to in order to cover up that kind of crime? Something shameful to the family, that might hurt their social standing..._

“What's this? Is Dale Crawford a suspect now?” Chastin's voice interrupted Holden's train of thought, and he half turned to acknowledge the officer. 

“Not necessarily, but we had a tip, and we need to at least look into the possibility,” he replied calmly, remembering Bill's insistence that they handle Dale with care. 

“That's ridiculous,” Chastin spat. 

Holden sighed inwardly. “Not really. No one likes to think that the perpetrator might be a family member, but it happens frequently.” He wondered, not for the first time, why Chastin was so bent on protecting the Crawfords.

Chastin walked over to Holden and stopped just close enough to be uncomfortable, but not so close as to seem overly aggressive. He made a pretense of looking over the board that contained what they knew so far. His scent was on edge, and the invasion of Holden's space a subtle attempt at dominance. He wasn't a beta, and Holden knew exactly what he was trying to do. He bit back his growing annoyance. He really didn't want to waste time dealing with posturing alphas. 

“The quicker we investigate Dale Crawford, the faster we can cross him off the list if he's innocent,” Holden said.

Crawford lazily turned to face him. “If he's innocent? You think he's guilty?” He then did the unthinkable and attempted to stare Holden down.

Holden did his best to ignore the provocation and not react to the instinct driven impulse to duck his head and turn away. “I don't know if he's guilty or innocent. That's why we need to check him out,” he ground out. He tilted his head downwards and looked away unable to hold an alpha's gaze that long, or anyone else's. 

Embarrassment welled up at Chastin's snort of derision. _He pulling this because Bill is off talking to Stevenson. He respects Bill as a fellow alpha, but not me._ He turned back to the board. “I don't know why you're determined to protect Dale and the rest of the family, but this is a homicide investigation, and we can't ignore possible leads.”

“I know what kind of investigation this is, _sweetheart._ I also know the people involved. You don't.” He smacked the board with the flat of his hand. Another aggressive gesture meant to intimidate. “Maybe you should try taking the advice of people who know better.”

Holden wondered if Chastin was trying to intimidate him into some act of submission or provoke his anger. He had run into plenty of alphas in his years with the FBI, and he had never experienced one try to pull this level of dominance on him. It was entirely unprofessional. 

“What's going on?” Bill's voice cut through the now palpable tension in the room. It was a question, not a command, but it was delivered with all the confident swagger of an alpha, and Chastin immediately put distance between himself and Holden. 

“We were discussing the case,” Holden replied calmly, even though he was strung tight after the confrontation with Chastin. He was relieved to see Bill, and pleased to see Chastin immediately capitulate to Holden's older and more experienced mate. However, he wasn't pleased that Bill had to step in. Holden should be able to save himself from those sorts of situations, and he felt as though his body had betrayed him, forcing him to back down when he wasn't rationally afraid of the alpha. 

“As he said,” Chastin agreed smoothly. He didn't attempt to stare Bill down. “I'll be back in a bit, if you need me.”

Bill watched him go before turning back to his mate. “What actually happened?” he asked in a low voice. “It smells like angry alpha and upset omega in here.” He stepped closer to Holden, and Holden knew he was trying to discreetly scent him.

“Chastin doesn't approve of the direction this investigation is heading,” Holden said, eyes flicking back to Dale's picture. He became aware that Bill was still watching him, waiting for him to elaborate. “He got in my space and stared me down... I can't stare down an alpha.”

“Of course you can't.” Bill briefly touched his arm, a gesture meant to reassure. 

“So now I have even less authority with him,” Holden went on.

“For what it's worth, I'm not sure it matters. For some reason he's hell bent on keeping us away from the Crawfords. If you were a beta, he'd be trying something else.”

“But I made it nice and easy for him.” 

“How the fuck did you do that? You haven't decided to ignore Dale have you?”

Holden shook his head. “No, of course not. Rebecca Thompson is the best lead we have.”

“Then what exactly did Chastin win? A puffed up ego, because he can stare down an omega? So what? Any alpha can do that, even if most aren't asshole enough to pull that crap.” He clapped Holden on the shoulder, leery of being too outwardly affectionate in their current situation. “I have acquired some information on Dale Crawford.”

They sat down at the desk where they both look through the file Bill had been putting together. “He works for a used car dealer, and has been living here since '73. He's never been in any trouble.”

Holden frowned. “But this is interesting. Prior to the spring of 1973 he was living in Houston and making good money working for an advertising firm. So why give up the high paying job in a bigger city to move here and sell used cars?”

“It's possible he could have lost his job. It can be hard to recover from a layoff,” Bill suggested.

“Maybe, but wouldn't Houston have more job opportunities, if he was out of work? It's true he had family here, but Houston isn't that far, and his brother and sister-in-law seem healthy and able bodied. They don't need his help. I'd like to know what was behind his decision to move here.” 

“He left Houston seven years ago...checking with his old employer makes sense. Maybe he gave a reason for leaving, maybe it was even honest. He also rented while living there, but who knows if the property is owned by the same landlord, or if they would even remember him,” Bill said, half thinking out loud.

Holden frowned. “I know we were told that he doesn't have a record. But did anyone here actually check? If they're operating under the assumption that the family is innocent, and they know Dale, they might not bother looking into his life before he moved back here.”

“That's a frightening thought,” Bill said. “I would hope they'd have more sense than that.”

“The only person to exhibit any sense is Stevenson, and he wasn't looking at the family,” Holden pointed out, admittedly feeling uncharitable after his latest run in with Chastin. “I wouldn't automatically trust what they tell us when it comes to the Crawfords.” 

Bill sighed and rubbed his eyes. “You OK?” Holden asked.

“I feel a headache coming on.” He stood up. “Right, we need Dale's records.”

“Do you need aspirin?” Holden asked, taking his mate's complaint seriously. Bill just looked at him and briefly rested his hand on his shoulder. Holden mentally shrugged and turned his attention back to what little they knew of Dale's past, and why Chastin was so hell bent on protecting him. He understood the desire to look outside the family, but Chastin was taking things to a concerning level. Holden was forced to consider what connection Chastin had to the Crawfords themselves.

* * *

“Now this is interesting, unhelpful but interesting.” It turned out that Holden's distrust hadn't been entirely misplaced. “Dale Crawford does have something on his record.” He watched his mate perk up. “But the fucker had it sealed, so whatever it was, it was dismissed or dropped. It would take a court order to open the record.”

“Still, it does suggest something about his character. He's not as perfect as some people would like us to believe.” Holden didn't sound phased by not knowing the actual offense. “I did find us someone to talk to.” He flipped back a page in his notes, “a Ms. Theresa Fletcher. She was a coworker and remembers him quite well. It sounds like he didn't make a good impression on everyone in the office. Oh, and we are not taking Chastin with us.”

“Agreed.” Bill, like Holden, had come to the conclusion that Chastin had become a potential liability.

As soon as they were in the car, Holden half turned towards Bill. “I'm starting to think that Chastin isn't just being difficult.”

“Oh? Difficult seems to sum him up fairly well,” Bill replied, somewhat cautiously. Chastin and Holden were oil and water, never meant to mix. Bill could easily chalk it up to an issue over status combined with a reluctance to point fingers at the victim's well liked family. A pain in the ass to be sure, but nothing particularly out of the ordinary. 

“He's trying a little too hard to shift blame from Dale. It's not just that he personally doesn't believe he's a suspect, he's invested in keeping the investigation away from him.” Holden's voice was earnest. “He's on edge whenever we get to close to the family, but relaxes when we shift the blame elsewhere. He also attempted to intimidate an FBI agent,” he added in a softer voice.

“Was that just stupidity over status? Some alphas get hung up on that – insecurity usually.” Bill could see his mate's point. Chastin's attitude had gotten worse the more he and Holden honed in on the family. However, they couldn't afford to jump to conclusions when it came to the very police involved in the investigation.

“You weren't there. I've experienced the lack of authority that comes from being an omega in a group of betas and alphas. This wasn't that. He was upset that Dale was added to the suspect list, and I'm sure he considers me the weaker link when it comes to the two of us. He went for me when you weren't there.” 

“I know. I was playing devil's advocate a little,” Bill admitted. “I'm not sure what to do except keep him at arms length, but I don't know if that's going to be possible.”

“Could he have some kind of personal tie to the Crawfords?”

Bill glanced over at the omega. “I have no idea. It's possible. It's a small town, people know each other. It was mentioned that a number of the police go to the same church as the Crawfords. He could know them from there.”

“He would have to know them better than acquaintances to explain his behavior. Thinking about it, there's an air of desperation there. You mentioned that you thought he was slipping in terms of keeping his alpha instincts in check. I know I have a harder time if I'm on edge. And whether or not I'm omega, I'm still an FBI agent. He shouldn't have been trying to intimidate me in that obvious of a fashion. I can tell by his scent he's on edge.”

Bill reached out to lay a hand on Holden's leg. “Well, there's two ways to address this. One is to call him out directly, the other is to find someone who is likely to know both Chastin and the Crawfords.”

Holden looked uncomfortable. “You would have to catch him when he stepped over the line like he did this morning.”

“You were there,” Bill pointed out, squeezing his thigh. 

“But it doesn't carry the same weight, if it comes from me. And if you go after him because I complained, it's easy to dismiss you as being overprotective of your omega partner,” Holden pointed out. “If you didn't see it, then who's to say what happened – and let's face it, Stevenson's not going to understand, if I describe what happened.”

“Fuck,” Bill swore softly. “I hate this kind of thing.” For all that alphas were known for their confidence, swagger and masculinity, and omegas for being very foreign in their behaviors, alphas and omegas communicated in subtleties. Holden was correct. It would be very difficult for betas to take his complaints seriously.

Holden removed Bill's hand from his thigh and held it between both of his own. “To be fair, Chastin's behavior has been more extreme than any alpha I've interacted with through work. They usually aren't this aggressive – dismissive, over protective, over familiar, yes – aggressive, no.”

“That's because it's not really in our nature to be aggressive towards omegas.” 

“I know. That's what makes me think there's something more to his behavior than issues around status. Something is pushing him to act this way. It would be nice to know what that thing is.” He absently caressed Bill's hand, running warm fingertips along Bill's digits and over his palm. Heat flickered in Bill's belly at his mate's touch.

“Don't start something you can't finish,” he smirked.

“Oh, sorry.” Amusement touched Holden's voice, and he brought Bill's hand to his lips to press several kisses across the back before letting him go. “I'm hoping we can get something to confront Dale with, something to shake him up a little.”

“And get Stevenson fully on board,” Bill added.

They met their contact at her place of employment, the fifth floor of a nondescript, medium sized office building. They stepped off the elevator into a more impressively appointed lobby and showed the receptionist their credentials. 

“We're here to see Lucy Carver,” Holden told the neat blond haired woman. The receptionist put in a call to Mrs. Carver and regarded them with some interest.

“Is this about Dale Crawford?” she asked, curious. “Lucy will be right with you.”

“Yes, did you know him?” Bill replied. A little extra information couldn't hurt.

“Not well. I started a few weeks before he left, but everybody's heard stories. Lucy's been with the company for almost fifteen years and knows everything about everybody. If you want office gossip, she's your girl.”

Holden was eyeing his surroundings with the expensive looking tile floor and dark wooden furniture. The receptionist seemed to fit right in with her carefully coiffed hair, tailored suit, and perfectly manicured nails. Everything was tasteful and gave off the aura of success - a far cry from a used car lot in a small town.

Presently the door to the office area opened and a small, rather plump, dark haired woman bustled out. She smiled at them, the expression transforming her face and making her look almost girlish, though she had to be nearly Bill's age. “I'm Lucy. We can use one of the conference rooms.”

“Agent Tench and Ford,” Bill introduced them. They followed her back down a hall way lined with offices on one side and cubicles on the other. This area was less swanky, though a peek inside an open office door showed a pleasant view. She opened the door to a room on the left and flipped on the lights. They followed her in and took seats across the oval table.

“I hope I can be of help. I've worked here since the fall of 1966, and Dale had started here a few years before.”

Holden pulled out a small tape recorder, notepad and pen. “Do you mind if we record this?”

“No, not at all. I suppose it's easier than having to write it all out.” She appeared more curious about the proceedings than nervous.

“You mentioned when I spoke to you on the phone that it didn't surprise you that Dale had gotten himself into trouble. What did you mean by that?” Holden asked.

She paused to collect her thoughts. “Dale was... let's put it this way, the side of Dale you got depended on who you were. He was great with clients, creative, had a lot of potential. The higher ups liked him. The rest of us, well, had a different impression of Dale, particularly the women. I was a secretary at the time, I'm an executive secretary now – a bit of a step up from where I was. Dale was disrespectful, seemed to think of himself as quite a catch, and didn't really like to hear the word 'no.' He'd target new girls especially, the younger ones. Made them uncomfortable, made _me_ uncomfortable, though I wasn't pretty enough for him to waste too much time on. There was no point in complaining about it. He could be a charmer when he wanted to, and people liked him.”

“Did he ever get physical with anyone?” Bill inquired.

“A little, but not in a way that couldn't be explained away as accidentally brushing up against someone. Still, I don't think I would've been comfortable working late alone with him, if you know what I mean.”

“Do you know why he left? His current place of employment is a considerable step down from this firm.”

Lucy leaned forward, and her dark eyes sparkled. “Well, that was the strange bit. As I said, he was liked by the right people, and even if he was obnoxious and overbearing, the man had talent. Suddenly out of nowhere he announced he was leaving. Didn't even give notice. Said he would be gone at the end of the week. He said something had come up with his family, but I don't believe it. I think he got himself into some kind of trouble. He had been looking worried and acting strange for two weeks prior. Stopped bothering the girls, real subdued, not his normal self at all. And just leaving like that – that just shot his chance at getting a reference. You don't just burn bridges like that.”

“This maybe a long shot, but do you know who he hung out with outside of work?”

“I'm afraid not,” she began. “Wait, he was dating a young lady at the time. She met him here sometimes after work if they had plans. What was her name...Carol, no Caroline Richards. That's it! Very sweet girl. They were pretty serious.”

“Was she aware of his behavior to the women he worked with?” Holden asked, sounding dubious.

“I doubt it. As I said, he could be charming when he needed to be. To management, to his girlfriend, he was a stand up guy, but the support staff didn't matter, so he showed his true colors with us.”

“Can you tell us anything more about Caroline?”

Lucy made a face. “Not a lot. I didn't know her that well. I know she has family in the area, and I think she worked as a primary school teacher. Yes, she did. I remember because we were discussing schools. My niece at the time was getting ready to start first grade. And it's a good thing she was, or I never would have remembered this. She taught at a Catholic school, but I don't remember which one.” She regarded Holden and Bill apologetically. “It's just been too long, I'm afraid... though I don't think it was far from here. I remember her coming here directly from work.”

They thanked Lucy for her time, made their way back down to the main lobby, and out to the rental car. “If he was in any trouble, it's likely Caroline would have known,” Holden said as he slid into the passenger seat.

Bill got in and sat for a long moment. “You're probably right. Unfortunately, that was seven years ago. Who knows if she has the same job, or even the same last name. She could be married now. Still the diocese would keep records of their employees. It's worth calling around... Dale had a habit of harassing women, a sealed criminal record, and left town under suspicious circumstances.”

“It is all very suspicious,” Holden agreed.

“But not very concrete. His record could be completely unrelated.”

“That's very possible, but would he bother to go to court to have it sealed for traffic violations? It had to be bad enough that he was afraid it would cause him problems if anyone ran a background check.” Holden frowned. “I guess it's possible he really was innocent of whatever charges were dropped.”

Bill snorted. “And unicorns might fly out of my ass.”


	4. Smaller Mysteries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gunn has a meeting with the head of the HR branch, Holden decides to find out what makes Chastin tick, and Bill locates someone who might be able to spill the beans on Dale.

“The hiring changes were a compromise. You have people that are concerned about putting omegas in over their heads where they could be at risk. You have people that think secondary gender should play no part in the hiring procedure. You have people who want to see hiring expanded, but want to take things slowly to see how they play out.” Harris ticked off the three groups on his fingers as he spoke. “If you're for creating a more diverse work force, this is a win to celebrate, regardless.”

“You're assuming that the only omegas being affected by this will be new hires, or those looking to promote into different positions. It fails to take into account omegas already working in the field,” Gunn pointed out. 

Harris sighed. “I figured that's why you're paying me a visit, not that I don't like seeing you. You have one guy. So, what's his story?” He leaned forward a bit to show interest. Maybe it was genuine, maybe it wasn't, Gunn reflected. He could just be humoring him.

“He's part of the Behavioral Science Unit. His position does take him into prisons to interview inmates as well as work with law enforcement. He's currently in Texas with his partner assisting a murder investigation. He's very good at his job, and while I can find something else for him to do, it's a waste.”

Harris regarded him for a moment. “Find something else for him to do that keeps him at Quantico. No matter how good he is, they're not going to make an exception for one person. If they do that, it will open the floodgates and start the whole argument up again.”

“This interferes with my ability to allocate resources where they best belong,” Gunn said, not so easily deterred.

Harris sat back again, thinking. “While it might inconvenience you and your one agent, it opens up opportunities for many others. There's a reason this didn't take into account current personnel. Except for your exception, there isn't anyone working in positions that would be negatively affected. I honestly don't know how your omega ended up where he is to begin with.”

Gunn's disagreement must have shown on his face, because Harris continued. “Look, on the whole, your guy excepted,” he held up a hand to forestall interruption. “Omegas are far more vulnerable than male betas and alphas. Honestly, probably more so than women in some ways. No one wants to stick one in a position he's not suited for and have him end up injured or killed, or getting another agent injured or killed.”

“If a person, no matter their status, is obviously a poor fit for a position, then it shouldn't be given to them in the first place. If you take status out of the equation and view each person as an individual with their own strengths and weakness, it's less likely that someone will be put in a situation where they aren't able to perform,” Gunn pointed out. 

Harris ignored him and went on. “Most of them are going to want to have kids at some point as well.”

“Then find them something else to do while they're pregnant.” Gunn was failing to see how these issues couldn't be easily worked around. _Ah politics, you stifle reason and common sense._ Gunn and politics were close acquaintances. He wouldn't be were he was within the Bureau, if didn't have a talent for making politics work for him. However, politics could just as easily bite you in the ass, and Gunn knew he was about to have his ass bitten. 

“I'm playing devil's advocate a bit here,” Harris admitted. “I don't entirely disagree with you. Personally, I don't think it makes sense to punish someone who has already proven themselves capable. However, I know how these arguments go, because I've been hearing about it for months. This is off the record, but while you're not going to get what you want right now, this is only temporary. You aren't the only one dissatisfied with the decision, and the new regulations are really just a stop gap while we continue working on this issue. On top of that, the biggest block when it comes to hiring omegas isn't going to be around much longer. Assistant Director Lewis is set to retire in two years. Give him one, and I predict his mind's going to be on the golf course, not omegas. In two he'll be completely out of here. Tell your guy to sit tight, it's just temporary while the Bureau sorts itself out.”

* * *

Holden leaned close to Bill as he started to pick up the phone. “There's something I want to check out while you try to track down Caroline Richards.” He spoke quietly, not wanting to alert any of the other officers to his movements. 

Bill set the receiver back into it's cradle with a click. “And what's that?”

Holden exhaled in an explosive puff. “I want to talk to the minister of the church the Crawford's attended.”

Bill looked puzzled for a moment, but his expression quickly cleared. “Is this about?” His gaze flicked briefly in the direction of Chastin's desk.

Holden nodded. “A lot of these guys go to the same church as the Crawfords. I want to know just how close Chastin and the family really are.”

“That sounds like a potentially bad idea. Holden, if you start asking around about Chastin, it's going to get back to him. This isn't a big town – people know each other and talk.”

“I wasn't going to be that obvious. It's legitimate to ask the victim's minister for more background on her. He leaned a little closer under the pretense of studying the notes Bill had taken regarding the interview with Lucy. “I just don't want whatever is going on with him to come back and bite us later.”

“And this won't? 

“Not if I'm careful,” Holden insisted. He understood Bill's reticence, but Bill also didn't fully see the danger Chastin posed to the investigation. “Bill, if Chastin is desperate enough to threaten an FBI agent, because that's what he was doing whether or not the betas would recognize it, then he's desperate enough to do who knows what else.”

“OK, you have a point, but please fucking be careful.”

Holden laid a hand briefly on Bill's shoulder in acknowledgment and pocketed the car keys, ignoring the feel of Chastin's eyes on his back.

Holden entered the uninspired plain brick and concrete building built sometime in the last decade or so. It was sizable for the small town, suggesting that it was favored by many of the locals. “Can I help you?” a middle aged woman asked. She had been tidying up and eyed Holden with curiosity, perhaps picking up on him being foreign to the area.

“Yes, I was wondering if I could speak to the minister. I understand this is the church Beth Ann Crawford used to attend. I'm working on the investigation.” He showed her his credentials.

“Oh, yes! That poor girl. He ran out for a few minutes, but should be back soon. I'm Liza. May I ask how the investigation is going? It's such a terrible crime, has people around here shook up.”

“We have a few leads we're exploring. Did you happen to know her?” He asked innocently, pegging Liza as someone who liked to talk.

“Yes, in the sense that this place isn't big, but we weren't at all close. She fell off coming over the past few years.”

Holden saw a promising opening and seized on it. “You said this place isn't big, but this is a decent sized church. I take it a lot of the town comes here? It was mentioned that a lot of the police knew the family from church.”

“Well yes, this and the Methodist church across town are the largest houses of worship here. Vern took over as minister here oh, ten years ago now, and he's been real popular with folks.” She leaned in conspiratorially. “If you want to know things about folks, you come here. When half the town shows up on Sundays, and no one keeps their mouths shut, you hear things.”

“Anything interesting I should know?” Holden asked, not having to feign interest.

“While the Crawfords are overall well liked, people do have their feuds and squabbles. Richard and Dale's younger cousin Joe is going through a nasty divorce and custody dispute. They tried to keep it quiet, but the girl, Cally Chastin, that's her maiden name, has been boohooing about it all over town. Not that I blame her, poor thing, and not that I think that has anything to do with what happened to Beth Ann. Just, you rub shoulders often enough with people, you end up with some enemies.”

“Ah, I see.” Holden was rapidly slotting puzzle pieces into place. “Chastin... that name sounds familiar. There's an officer Chastin. Is she related?”

“I know who you mean. Yes, that's his sister.”

Muffled footsteps approached and Vern appeared. “Ah, hello, young man. How can I help you?”

They sat down in Vern's office, a small room mostly taken up by his desk and the rest by books of a theological nature. “I'm very sorry about what happened. It's a terrible thing. She was in a bad way, but I held out hope that she would see her way out. When I heard she had run off a few months ago, well, a lot of that hope died.”

“Was she involved with the church? It sounds like the rest of her family is.”

“As a child, yes. She came to Sunday school and youth group, but once she hit her middle teens she slowly stopped. First it was youth group, then she only showed up some Sundays. Her parents tried to get her involved again thinking it would help her, but I take it she dug her heels in and refused.”

“When she did come, did she have friends here? Anyone in particular she liked to talk to?” Holden had the information he had truly come for, but perhaps Vern noticed something others hadn't.

“Rebecca Thompson. They were always good friends, even after Beth Ann became more troubled. Otherwise she didn't interact much with the other young people. It was pretty clear she was only here under duress. I wish I could be more help. Unfortunately, she didn't come to me with her problems and neither did her parents. Not really. They expressed their worry for their daughter, but I always felt they were holding something back.”

“Do you have any idea what that might have been?”

Vern shook his head. “No. I assume, like a lot of people, they weren't comfortable airing what they considered dirty laundry.”

It was clear to Holden that by 'dirty laundry' Vern didn't mean anything truly nefarious, just that they were likely embarrassed by their daughter's behavior and the depth of her problems. “Thank you for taking the time to talk to me.” They shook hands.

“No problem at all. We're all praying for an answer to her death.”

* * *

Bill looked up when Holden walked in an hour later. The omega looked pleased with himself, and Bill felt himself relax. He hadn't been thrilled with the idea of Holden running off on a hunch regarding Chastin who may or may not be as much of a problem as his mate assumed. Not that the officer wasn't an asshole and a problem either way.

“I think I might have found Dale's ex. She still works at the same school, only is Caroline Sanders now. It only took forty five minutes of phone calls.” He sighed, then added in a lower voice, “how did it go?”

“I'll tell you when we leave.”

“So Richard and or Dale could have something over Chastin,” Holden explained as Bill drove. “They could be holding his sister's kids over his head.”

“ _Could be_ being the operative words,” Bill stressed, turning the information over. It was a leap to say the least, but it was also true that Chastin had been behaving oddly and in a way that was unprofessional.

“It would explain a lot.” Holden shifted in his seat so he could look at his mate while they spoke. “If nothing else, he could be compromised. Too close.”

Bill sighed. “There's not much I can do with this information. It's an accusation he can easily deny.”

“But it doesn't look good,” Holden pressed, his stubborn streak rearing it's head.

“No it does not,” Bill agreed. They pulled into the parking lot at the diner they had been frequenting on their stay. The food was decent, and it was close to their motel. He undid his seat belt and turn towards his mate. “There's one thing I can do.”

“What?”

“I can talk to him, one alpha to another. Even if he doesn't particularly like me, he seems to respect me.” He laid a hand on Holden's shoulder when he turned his face away. Bill could tell he was frustrated from the agitation in his scent and the tension across his shoulders and through his jaw. “I know it's fucking stupid, but unfortunately, Chastin seems to be one of those.” Bill didn't like it either. He didn't like seeing Holden not get respect due to his status, didn't like him being viewed as a weak link when he wasn't.

“OK.” He nodded curtly.

Bill leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “Come on, I'm starving.”

They ate quietly, both hungry and tired. Holden eventually set his fork down. “We are getting somewhere.”

“We are if Caroline can tell us anything of interest. If not, it's down to the word of a teenage girl and sexual harassment claims at his old work place. It's enough for me to take a good hard look at him, but it might not be enough for the department here.” Bill wanted to agree with his mate, but didn't want to get their hopes up too high or encourage Holden to make a leap so huge it got him into trouble.

The waitress came bustling over with a smile, used to their presence. “Can I get you anything else, sweetie?” She asked Holden.

“Ah, no, thank you.” He smiled in return, but Bill could practically see him twitch.

“I'll get you the check then.” She flashed a bright smile at Bill and wove her way back to the register.

“Why does everyone do that?” Holden grumbled.

“Do what, _sugar._ ” Bill teased, unable to help himself.

“ _That._ I stop acting like a beta and suddenly it's sweetheart, honey, sweetie...” He trailed off, looking indignant.

“Because you're cute, _honey._ ” Bill smirked at his mate's obvious exasperation. The waitress reappeared with the check and they tossed down enough cash to cover the meal and tip. “Come on sweetheart, let's go.”

Holden rolled his eyes and slid out of the booth. “You're acting like someone who doesn't want to get any.”

Bill grinned at the completely empty threat. “Oh, I doubt that, since you wouldn't be getting any either.” They left the diner with Bill's hands possessively at the small of Holden's back.

* * *

The next morning they caught Stevenson and Chastin up on what they had discovered involving Caroline. Stevenson was still doubtful, but Bill could tell he was at least intrigued by the information, scant as it was. He was most interested in Chastin's reaction. Chastin played down what they knew as Bill expected him to and pointedly ignored Holden, only casting one unfriendly look his way when he thought Stevenson and Bill weren't looking.

Holden hadn't wanted to loop Chastin in yet, but it would be impolitic to cut the locals out of the investigation. They needed Stevenson on their side. Holden added the new information to the board which while still scant, was starting to take shape. Bill covertly kept an eye on Chastin, waiting for the right moment to pull him aside and have a little talk. _We should all be fucking professionals. This should not be necessary._

Chastin had edged closer to Holden, his arms folded across his chest. He wasn't technically doing anything, but looming over the omega was certainly intended to be an intimidation tactic. For his part, Holden was ignoring him, but Bill could see the tension creep into his shoulders. Holden's ability to play the part of a male beta depended on other people not playing on his instincts. If pushed too hard, his omega behaviors would leak back in. This rarely happened, but Chastin determined to be the exception. Bill watched them play out their strange battle of wills, until he couldn't personally take it anymore. 

“Chastin, could I have a minute?” He gestured for the other officer to follow him.

Bill stepped outside, not wanting to do this with an audience. When he was certain they were alone, he turned to face the other man. “What's the problem?”

“I don't know what you mean,” came the expected reply.

“You have a problem with this investigation. You've had one from the start, and I'm getting tired of watching you take it out on my partner. He's not afraid of you, you know.”

Chastin looked surprised for a moment, but he quickly smoothed the expression away. “Then why are you standing here and not him?”

Bill resisted the very strong desire to shake some sense into the man. _What is wrong with you? You really want to challenge me on this?_ “Because it's clear you aren't going to listen to an omega. You can stare him down, crowd his space, act aggressive, but his omega responses are automatic. They don't mean anything.” He stood up straighter, made himself look bigger. “You aren't accomplishing anything accept pissing me the fuck off. Now I'm going to ask you again, what is your problem?”

They were standing close enough together that Bill could catch Chastin's scent. He was uneasy, though whether it was the line of questioning or because he felt threatened by another alpha, Bill wasn't sure. He gave the other man a steady stare.

Finally Chastin answered. “The only problem I have is you all wasting time and resources barking up the wrong tree. You two come here from up at the FBI and think you know everything, but you don't know the people round here.”

Chastin might have drawn Bill in to some degree, wondering what exactly Chastin knew about the locals. Except his scent gave him away. Chastin was worried and trying to cover it with aggression. Scent didn't lie. “OK, let me tell you what we do know about some of the people round here.” Bill's voice came out clipped. He was growing tired of the other alpha's nonsense. “Your sister was married to Dale's cousin. They're going through a bad divorce and custody battle.” He could see the brief flicker of surprise and fear cross Chastin's face, and he knew Holden had been on the right track.

“That leaves you with an interesting tie to one of our suspects. Not only that, but you've been discouraging our interest in the family since we arrived. Are they holding something over your head? Are you hoping to win brownie points so they'll stop fighting Cally over the kids?”

For a moment Bill wasn't sure how Chastin was going to react. He started to draw himself up, preparing for some kind of outburst, but then deflated. “How do you know about Cally?”

“You should stop underestimating omegas. Now are you going to tell me what your problem is or not? I'd rather the two of us work this out than have to pull Stevenson into this.”

Chastin looked up and then back down at Bill, trying to get himself back under control and collect his thoughts. “The Crawfords, they care about their reputation, their standing. A little too much if you ask me.” He turned his head and spat. “But some people are like that – put too much stock in appearances. Richard didn't want the family's dirty laundry aired what with all Beth Ann's problems and felt the police might jump to conclusions, because blaming the family is convenient. If I made sure the investigation treated them gently and didn't pull them through the mud, they'd give Cally primary custody of the kids rather than smearing her name in court.”

Bill relaxed his stance and listened carefully to Chastin's story. “Now that the truth is out, how do you really feel about Dale Crawford?”

Chastin shrugged. “I don't particularly like any of them after the way they treated Cally. Joe was a shit husband, but they heaped the blame on her while he could do no wrong. But Dale...I don't know, to be honest. I wouldn't have assumed there was anything wrong with him accept the usual petty crap, but people can fool you.”

“OK, listen. We aren't approaching Dale until we're on firmer footing with this investigation – we've been treating them pretty damned gently. If we dig up enough dirt, they're going to have more legal issues than a custody battle. So relax, do your job, and stop trying to intimidate Agent Ford. I've worked with him for three years, trust me, it's not going to work.”


	5. Secret Keeper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill and Holden continue to make a case for Dale as a suspect as their part in the investigation nears its end, and Holden finds that sometimes being an omega comes in handy.

Per the usual, Holden climbed out of bed before Bill. Once Holden's brain switched on, he found sleep impossible while Bill took a little longer to get going in the mornings. He didn't bother being quiet as he began preparing for the day, since his mate needed to be up soon anyway. He was feeling good about about Caroline and incredibly lucky that she hadn't changed jobs or left the area completely. 

He brushed his teeth and reached into the small bag of toiletries for his medication. He bypassed the Valium and went for his birth control. He reflected briefly that he had been taking the little yellow pills for over half his life now. They were magic in many ways, life changing. Without contraceptives and heat suppressants, Holden would have most likely mated in his late teens and started having babies. He tipped one of the pills out onto his palm. He sometimes thought about the road less traveled. Not that he wanted to give up his career for a horde of children....Holden eyed his youthful reflection in the mirror with it's white undershirt and sleep mussed hair. To be fair, he was still young – and looked even younger. He was still in his reproductive prime, but that time was a finite commodity. 

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,   
And sorry I could not travel both and be one traveler, long I stood  
And looked down one as far as I could  
To where it bent in the undergrowth”

Holden recited, the snippet of poetry suddenly popping into his head.

“Robert Frost. Are you going to take that, or just recite poetry at it?” Bill asked in a sleep roughened voice, his hands warm on Holden's hips as he tried to chivy his mate out of the way.

“Oh, yeah. Just thinking.” He quickly swallowed the pill and slid past Bill to give him room in the cramped space. He shoved the errant thought from his head and turned his attention to the problem of Dale Crawford.

* * *

“I'm not surprised you're asking about Dale. What did he do? Assault some poor girl?” Caroline's face was set, her expression grim.

“We're here as part of a murder investigation,” Holden told her, aware that they were about to hit pay dirt. 

Caroline closed her eyes for a moment. “Who was it?”

“His seventeen year old niece, Beth Ann. Her body was found dumped in a desolate area near the Calder Oilfields,” Bill explained. “We're trying to put together a better understanding of the family.”

“It's more than that, or you wouldn't have gone to all the trouble of looking up his ex-girlfriend of seven years ago. I'll help if I can. What do you need to know?”

“Was Dale in any trouble while you were dating? Legal trouble, problems with law enforcement?” Holden asked.

“We were together two years. The first year and a half were perfect. I thought I had found the man I was going to marry. But then... I had my suspicions that he wasn't being entirely faithful, and he was going out more often with his guy friends. I didn't mind him going out with friends, but when he tried to hide it... it made me start to wonder what he was really going on. Then the police came knocking on my door looking for him. He had been accused of sexually assaulting a fifteen year old girl. He insisted it was a mistake, but women, girls, don't usually make that kind of thing up. They ended up dropping the charges when the victim recanted...”

“But you don't believe he was innocent?” Holden asked.

“Not for a minute. Before he was arrested, I had started asking the people who knew him about what he had been up to. At first they covered for him, but after the arrest, not all of them were so quick to stand by their friend. He'd been going out, hitting on girls, sometimes going home with them. Liked them young too.”

“Was he ever violent?” 

“With me? No. But as it turned out, I never really knew him, so who knows what he's capable of.” She shrugged. 

“What about the rest of his family? How well did you know them? You had been dating for awhile.” Holden wondered just how far the rest of the family would go to protect Dale, if they knew.

“I had met his family. I sometimes spent holidays with them. They were OK, maybe a little snobbish. They were used to being big fish in a small pond.”

“Do you know why Dale left Houston?” Holden asked. “He quit a good job here.”

“I can't say for sure,” Caroline said after a long moment's thought. “We were broken up by then. There's only so many details I can give you, unfortunately. I will say that I wouldn't trust Dale farther than I could throw him. He can turn on the charm, make a good impression, but it's just a mask.”

“So Dale has a history of going after underage girls,” Holden said when they were back in the car.

“That's what it sounds like. Though, it's possible he assaulted his niece, but didn't kill her,” Bill replied. “Between this and Rebecca, I would say they most likely had some serious problems in their family.”

“And the murder seemed personal,” Holden added. “If nothing else, they know a lot more about their daughter than they've been willing to tell us or the police.”

Bill glanced over at his mate. “What's up with the poetry this morning? That was weird even for you.” Despite the sunglasses, he could tell by what he could see of his mate's expression that he was rolling his eyes.

“I was just thinking, and it popped into my head. Don't you ever wonder what might have happened if you had made different choices?”

“Of course. I'm pretty sure everybody does. Having regrets about something?” He didn't seem at all upset, on the contrary he was excited by the case.

“No, I mean, I regret that the relationship with my mother has become so strained, but I can't do anything about that. In the end, things have worked out,” he replied honestly. “I wouldn't have been happy without a career.”

“You need the intellectual stimulation,” Bill agreed. He couldn't imagine his mate staying home and taking care of the house. He was too curious and driven. “There's a reason Nancy went into real estate besides the extra money. People need an outlet.” He glanced again at Holden who was staring out the window thoughtfully.

* * *

When they arrived back at the police station, they were met by a slim, young woman. Her features seemed vaguely familiar, and she looked worried. Chastin walked up behind her. “This is my sister, Cally. She wanted to talk to you all about the Crawfords since she spent six years as part of the family.”

She smiled hesitantly up at her brother. “Longer than that if you count the time we dated.”

_Six years married not including the time they were dating or engaged. She might actually know something._ “That would be very helpful.” He mentally kicked himself for not thinking of Cally sooner. Since she was divorced from Joe, he hadn't thought she would have recent information. But she could have insight into Dale's past, and past behavior predicted future behavior.

The four sat down in a meeting room. “I would have said something sooner had I known Dale was actually a suspect. But I didn't realize... and Rob might have told you that I've been fighting for custody of my kids. I didn't want to do anything that might make matters worse. But a murder investigation...that's different.”

“You might have some insights into Dale's character. How long did you know him?” Holden asked.

“I had met him before of course, but I didn't really get to know him well until he moved back here from Houston. I was engaged to Joe at that point. He, Joe and Richard were close, so I saw him around a lot.”

“Do you know why he came back? From what we can tell, he had a good job in Houston, better than what he's doing now.” This was the piece that didn't fit. The charges had been dropped, Dale could have moved on with his life in Houston. Even if he wanted a fresh start, moving to a nearby small town didn't make sense.

“I don't know all the details. No one liked to talk about it, but Richard bailed him out of some trouble. In return he's working in one of the family businesses,” She replied. 

Holden thought about this for a moment. “Wouldn't it have been easier to pay his brother back from the salary he was making before?”

She shrugged. “Like I said, I don't know all the details. They were an insular bunch, and as I was just then marrying in, I was still an outsider. For all I knew, whatever he did blew up his career, or pissed some people off that he needed to steer clear of. I knew better than to ask.”

Bill cut in then. “According to his ex girlfriend, he had been accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl. The charges were dropped, and he had his record sealed.”

“Oh, how awful. I wish I could say it surprised me, but he always gave me the creeps.”

“In what way?” Holden asked.

“I don't know, just a feeling...he had two personas. He could be the good humored guy that everyone wanted to have a drink with, or he could be...something else. He had a mean streak, though it didn't come out too often. I got to the point where I didn't like Joe going out with him, because he came back way drunker than he should, and I was always worried they were going to get in trouble.

A lot of people think the Crawfords are good upstanding citizens. They're active in the church, give to charity, are involved with the school, but there's a smallness, a meanness underneath. Richard and Dale just brought it out in Joe. I sometimes think that if we could have gotten married and moved away, we might have been OK together. But there's was no way he'd leave his family, and they brought out the worst in him. Inflated his ego something terrible, covered up his irresponsible behavior. And of course they want my kids, they're family, and they keep family close.”

“Did you know Beth Ann?”

“Beth? Sure. She wasn't a bad kid, if you knew how to talk to her. She was just unhappy. She started acting out as a teenager, and I know she didn't like Dale, but then I didn't particularly like Dale either. We got on fine, but she never really told me anything. I mostly saw her at family functions when there were other people around. Even when she started having trouble, she was really good to her little sister. Seeing that gave me hope for her.”

“So you had no way of knowing whether or not Beth was being abused? Her friend suspected Dale,” Bill said.

Cally shook her head, her long braid swinging. “No, if I had... poor thing. It would explain a lot.”

“You said you knew better than to ask – was Dale ever violent towards you?” Holden asked.

Cally hesitated. “No, but all three of them could be threatening. I don't think they were stupid enough to beat on me with my brother being a police officer, but that doesn't mean I felt safe. Richard was hard on Beth, but I never saw him do anything physical to her.”

“How far do you think they'd go to protect one of their own?” That was the real question eating at Holden. Bill was right, Dale could have abused his niece, but not been the murderer. But the family sent up so many red flags, that the possibility was undeniable.

“Who knows. If you think they're capable of murder, well, it would hardly surprise me. There's a reason I want my kids away from them.”

* * *

“Do you think it's enough for a search warrant for his home and place of business?” Bill asked Stevenson.

“I don't know,” he confessed. “We have her friend, and I would take what she has to say seriously. Unfortunately, the prior charges against him were dropped, and we don't have definitive proof that Richard paid off the victim or her family. Cally gave us insight into his character, but there wasn't a lot of specifics.”

“What about the little sister?” Holden asked. “It sounds like Beth was protective of her, and if Dale was abusing one girl, she might have been afraid he would hurt her too.”

Bill and Holden stood on the porch of Beth Ann's home while Chastin spoke to Betty. Richard was at work, for which Holden was thankful. It was one less potential complication. Betty didn't sound pleased by the situation. She was hissing at Chastin like an angry goose. _Probably demanding to know why he isn't keeping up his end of the bargain._ He heard Chastin say, “that isn't in my control anymore, more ma'am.” There was more angry hissing, and then Chastin beckoned them inside. 

He nodded pleasantly at Betty who was trying and failing to look unconcerned. “I'll be as gentle as I possibly can,” he promised.

“I don't like this. She's just nine. What do you expect her to know?” Betty demanded.

“Siblings have a different relationship than parents and children. It's possible she might know things about Beth that the adults in her life don't,” he explained. “I'll record the interview, so everyone can be assured that I didn't ask any leading questions.”

Chrissy's room was small and very pink, and she sat on her bed regarding Holden with a serious expression. Lacking anywhere better to sit, he lowered himself to the floor. “Are you a policeman?” She asked.

“I'm with the FBI. Do you want to see my badge?” Holden remembered that being a hit with the kids at his one ill fated school outreach. She nodded, curious, so he pulled it out and showed it to her.

“You're here about my sister, aren't you.” She sat down on the floor across from him. Holden thought for a moment, then made a decision and shrugged off his beta mannerisms as if they were an ill fitting coat. The qualities that made him an omega were made to calm aggressive alphas, and they also helped put Brian at ease when they first began interacting.

“Yes, we want to find out what happened to her.”

She eyed Holden, some of her unease dropping away. “You're like cousin Rob's husband. Only they're not really my cousins anymore, because there was a divorce. Rob is a policeman too.”

“Were you and your sister close?”

She nodded solemnly. “Yeah, she was always nice to me. I miss her.”

“I'm sorry. Sometimes sisters and brothers talk about things that they don't tell their parents. Did she ever tell you any secrets?”

“If it's a secret, then you shouldn't tell.” Chrissy pointed out matter-of-factly.

“That's true, but secrets can't hurt her now.”

Chrissy thought about this for a minute. “She sometimes snuck out at night. I let her in my window once. Don't tell Mommy or Daddy that. I'd get in trouble.”

“I won't, I promise.” Holden swore, his manner serious. “Did she sneak out often?”

“Yeah.” She nodded.

“Do you remember when she left? It was a few months ago.”

“She and Daddy got in a big fight. I hid in here and covered my ears.”

“Do you know what the fight was about?” Holden asked, but she shook her head.

“I tried not to hear. It scared me when they fought. She came back to my window that night to say goodbye.”

“Do you remember what she said?”

“Not to trust Uncle Dale. He acted nice, but he was really a bad man. I never told Mommy and Daddy. I knew it was meant to be a secret.”

Holden's pulse sped up in excitement that he tried to keep hidden. “Did you ever see her after that?” He wasn't holding out much hope, but it was worth asking.

She hesitated and nodded again. “It was the biggest secret of all. She was going to take me with her, but she never came back.”

“When did that happen?”

“A few weeks ago. She tapped on the window in our secret code. But she couldn't stay long, because Daddy heard her, and she had to run away.” She half turned and tapped on the bed frame to demonstrate.

“Do you remember anything else about that night? Anything out of the ordinary?”

Her little brow furrowed as she thought hard. “I pretended to be asleep in case Daddy came in, but he didn't. I heard his truck drive away. It makes a rattling sound. I fell asleep after that.”

* * *

“The cadaver dogs found something at the car lot. There was a van that carried human remains at some point. There were also hairs that look similar to Beth Ann's. They're still searching for the murder weapon. It had to be something that caused blunt force trauma. Still, we know it's one or both of them,” Stevenson said with some satisfaction. “It's just a matter of being able to build a case.”

Chastin offered to drive them to the airport. He seemed to feel some remorse for his previous behavior, and though he couldn't bring himself to quite apologize to Holden, he did amend his manners. “At least with all of this suspicion with the family, it's unlikely they'll get Cally's kids.” He smiled. “They'll be up to their eyeballs in legal problems.”

“I'm glad that's over,” Bill said as the plane to DC took off. “It's horrible to think her own family was responsible.”

Holden leaned against him. “Hopefully this will keep the same thing from happening to Chrissy.” He watched the ground fall away into a patchwork landscape. He was filled with the satisfaction of a job well done, but like Bill, he was ready to go home.


	6. Changes and Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gunn delivers some unwelcome news, and Holden contemplates his age and biology.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter! Thanks to everyone that's been reading along. Right now, posting schedule continues on as normal. I have large chunks of stories 2 and 3 of this arc roughed out, but I'm not as far ahead as I would like thanks to the holidays (this month didn't give me as much writing time).

“So the family sacrificed the daughter in order to save one of the men,” Wendy said. “Did the mother know what was going on?”

“She didn't seem to,” Bill began. “But I have a hard time believing she wasn't aware on some level of what was happening. She was willing to believe her husband's story in order to protect the family unit.”

The door to the conference room opened and Gunn stuck his head in. They immediately straightened up. “I see you're back. A congratulations seems to be in order. You did good work. Holden, can I speak to you for a moment?”

“Certainly.” He followed Gunn out into the hall, far enough away to be out of easy earshot.

“There's something I need to discuss with the team, but since it most directly involves you, I wanted to speak to you first.”

Holden fought down a growing sense of unease. Gunn seemed his usual self, but his scent was not that of a calm alpha. Gunn studied him for a moment and frowned, perhaps detecting the same quality in Holden's own scent.

“As you know, you're something of an anomaly here. Historically, very few omegas have worked for the Bureau, and those that have occupied lower level support positions. I'm going to be honest and tell you this is a waste of talent. It seems I'm not the only one who thinks so, as other areas have increased their interest in hiring omegas.”

Holden was confused. This sounded positive, but it was clear that Gunn was about to deliver bad news. “That's good, isn't it?”

“Yes, but there's a sticking point. The bureau is not always on the cutting edge of social change, and there's been a lot of political wrangling over how to best handle the potential changes to the workforce.” He took a deep breath. “In order to please the more...conservative elements, more positions will be open to omega applicants, however, they are restricting omegas from field work. For the time being.” He stressed.

“Wait, sir, what does that mean?”

“It means you had the misfortune of getting caught in the middle of a political situation. Your duties will be amended so that you play more of a supporting role for the team. Let me stress this.” He quickly cut Holden off before he could protest. “This directive is only temporary.”

“How temporary?” Holden tried to keep his question from sounding like a demand, but he was doubtful he succeeded.

“A year or two at most. The thing about politics is that people don't stay in power forever. I need to inform the rest of the team.”

* * *

Gunn could tell Holden was not pleased by the news, but Gunn couldn't blame him. Especially coming on the back of a successful case. He could smell distressed omega overlaid with Bill's scent. _Do they really think they're fooling me?_

By the time Holden had his seat next to Wendy and Gregg, Bill was sitting up looking concerned. He obviously picked up on his mate's emotional state. Gunn sighed inwardly. These were not the kinds of conversations he liked to have. He repeated what he had told Holden and watched the expressions around him turn to surprise and bewilderment.

“But sir,” Bill objected. “Holden has proven himself capable member of the team. Why stick him behind a desk?”

“This doesn't seem like the best allocation of talent,” Wendy added, her tone calmer, but her expression disapproving. Gregg was silent, but clearly confused by the announcement. As he looked back and forth between Gunn and Holden.

Gunn held up a hand to silence any further objections. “Off the record, I don't disagree with you. I can also tell you that it won't last. Let's just say it isn't popular with everyone. In the meantime, Agent Ford is still an important member of the team, and we need his insights. However, he won't be conducting interviews or be directly involved with local law enforcement. This isn't something we have a choice in, but I'm sure we can adapt. Perhaps look at it as an opportunity for learning new skills. That will be all.” He smiled genially and was very glad to step back out of the conference room.

_Wendy and Bill are correct._ But politics were politics, they could bring you success or trip you up when you least expected it. _At least it's only temporary._

* * *

“I can't believe this!” Holden vented behind the closed door of Bill's office. “I'm perfectly capable of doing my job. What about my status makes it so I can't do my job?”

“I know, baby. It's fucking asinine.” He sighed heavily as Holden moved restlessly around the small space before alighting on the edge of Bill's desk. Bill reached out and lay a consoling hand on his thigh. “He did say it was temporary.”

“Do you believe that?” Holden wasn't sure he did or not. He didn't think Gunn would lie about it, but it wasn't as if the man had a crystal ball and could see the future.

“I believe it. Look, there's a lot more omegas out there finishing high school, earning college degrees, learning technical skills. They aren't going to be satisfied working as cashiers and office temps. Even if the new policies are misguided, they represent omegas pushing for better opportunities, and those omegas aren't going away. This is a first step in getting the Bureau on board. It's not going to stay like this, because competent individuals are going to keep demanding more.”

“You don't seem very concerned about this,” Holden groused. He wasn't intending to accuse Bill of anything, but he wasn't in the mood to be reasonable.

“Holden,” Bill said in the tone reserved for when his mate was being particularly dense. “I'm pissed as fuck about this. It's unfair, it's ignorant, it's short sighted, but the FBI can be a political shit show. I know that, you should know that by now. People make dumb decisions all the time, but there's no way this one is going to work long term, and I don't think it's meant to. It's just a band-aid over a larger cultural problem.”

He gave Holden's leg a squeeze. “Don't you think it fucking makes me mad when someone suggests that my mate can't do his job, due to his gender?”

Holden's face softened. “I know.”

“And for all the alphas out there that are overprotective of their mates, there are ones like me who are going to be deeply insulted by this. It's doomed to fail in the end, but you're going to have to be patient.” He gave his knee a squeeze. “We're both going to have to be patient. Now can you get off my desk? You're sitting on my notepad.”

Holden slid off his desk, catching the notepad before it hit the floor. “A year or two?”

“That's what he said. He must of spoken to someone. This department is important to his own aspirations, I'm sure he's been objecting to this too,” Bill said thoughtfully. He must have caught something in Holden's scent, because he quickly looked towards his mate. He stood, hands on Holden's shoulders. “Don't get stressed out about this. It's a temporary bump in the road, and as Gunn said, you're still necessary.”

Holden nodded and attempted to release the tension he was carrying in his shoulders. Bill was right, the last thing he needed was stress. He was tired from the trip, and that never helped his coping skills. Bill rubbed his biceps and then caught his hands and gave them a squeeze. He wasn't usually this physically affectionate at work when other people were in the vicinity, but the current situation and Holden's mental state were taking priority.

“I'm OK,” he assured Bill. “I need some rest and a chance to think.”

* * *

Holden returned to his normal routine, caught up on sleep, and tried to manage his stress levels. He reminded himself that he still had his career, and as he picked through his own tangled feelings he knew it was the principle of the matter that bothered him the most. _You're young, you have time, you'll long outlast whatever bureaucratic idiocy is going on right now._ He told himself. Rationally he knew it was true, and he was just caught up in an awkward moment as his workplace sat poised between the norms of the past and those of the future. Their department was part of that future in more ways than one, but the rest of the FBI hadn't caught up yet. However, it still hurt that the he had poured everything into his career, to being taken seriously, only to be told he somehow wasn't good enough.

He opened the medicine cabinet and pulled out his birth control pills as he did every morning. Like that morning in Texas, he paused. _I'm young for the FBI, or so I've been told on a regular basis. I'm not as young when it comes to having kids. Why is that even bothering me?_ He hadn't thought about it when he was in his twenties, though to be fair, his idea of family life then included a female beta. He hadn't thought about it when he turned thirty. But now he sat in between his early and middle thirties living a stable life mated to an alpha and comfortable with his status. Current work issues not withstanding. Was the stability he found with Bill shifting his perspective? Or was it some weird biological clock going off, demanding that he do his part to continue the species? He preferred to give the credit to improved circumstances rather than biological imperative. While he had come to have an easier relationship with his biology, it didn't define or control him.

“Those must be the most fascinating pills,” Bill said, walking up behind him. “Are you going to start reciting poetry again?” He stood resting his hands on the edge of the sink, effectively trapping Holden.

“No, I was just thinking.”

“About?” Bill pressed his lips to Holden's shoulder and then to the side of his neck.

Holden paused, unsure how to explain himself. “How my concept of family has changed since I was in my twenties.” This was true as far as it went, but it was more than that. He wriggled around in the cage of Bill's arms to face his mate. “I used to think I would eventually have a family, but it would involve a female beta.”

“I lived that,” Bill said, a wry smile tugging at his mouth. “It doesn't work whether you're alpha or omega.”

“I know that now.” He glanced to the side as Bill snagged the pill bottle. 

“Ah, that's what I thought.” He set the bottle back down with click. Holden had ducked his head down, but was aware that Bill was studying him. “We never really discussed it, but do you want a baby? It would be normal if you did.” He brought his hand up to gently stroke his cheek.

Holden was silent for a long drawn out moment. “I just started thinking about it,” he finally admitted. “I'm thirty-two, and once I pass thirty-five, I'm considered high risk for a first child.” He suddenly felt very self-conscious, as if he were admitting some deep dark secret about himself. Pregnancy seemed foreign to the trajectory he had set himself on since he had been a teenager, since he had locked himself in a ruthless battle against his body's natural processes. But somehow with Bill, that had fallen away. “But it's hard to square with...the way I've been living my life.” He reached out to take hold of Bill's hips, looking for reassurance.

“It's not either or, Holden. Not anymore, not like it used to be,” Bill pointed out.

“And I'm stuck behind a desk anyway for awhile...it would be a good opportunity. Maybe the best I'm likely to get. But what do you think?”

Bill straightened up and pulled Holden into an embrace. “At one time I would have enthusiastically agreed, at another I would have been terrified of it, now it seems reasonable. Trying with Nancy... that was a lot of heartache, but we were never physically compatible. Then we adopted Brian, and I never felt like I had the ability to be the father he needed, but that's changed. And for a lot of the time I was married to Nancy, there was so much tension, and that didn't help.” His voice trailed off as he rubbed a hand up and down Holden's back. 

“So what you're saying is that this is an entirely different situation.” Holden closed his eyes, lulled by the warmth of Bill's body and touch. “Brian is doing much better, and he loves you.”

Bill gave him a squeeze. “I think we should think about it.” He kissed the top of Holden's head. “If that's what you want.”

“Yeah, I will.”

* * *

Holden sat at the dining room table next to Brian, helping him with his homework. In this case, his mate had made flash cards to help Brian memorize vocabulary words. There was nothing wrong with Brian's ability to learn, but the trauma and disruption he experienced put him behind his classmates. He had made up a good bit of ground over the pasts six months, when things really began to smooth out. At this point, he had caught up with the rest of the class in math, which he liked, but was still a little behind in reading.

Bill watched them from the doorway, not wanting to interrupt. He enjoyed seeing them together. The two had always been able to relate to one another, and it had been clear early on that Holden was a positive influence in the boy's life. Bill had also been able to mend the distant relationship with his son through Holden's example, and he found himself enjoying fatherhood. It had taken him several years of fumbling attempts at parenting, but in the end, it had been worth it. He suspected that Nancy hadn't really believed Bill would stick around in Brian's life, and she had no reason to believe Holden would become attached to his stepson. They had both proven her wrong over the course of the last two years.

Bill slid into the seat across from Holden once Brian had been dismissed to enjoy the warm weather. In a few weeks school would be out for the summer, and he'd be free from homework for a few months. Those months had always seemed like a lifetime to Bill when he had been young. Now they passed in an eye blink. 

“You're good with him,” Bill said with approval.

Holden smiled, pleased. “He's a good kid. He's just had a lot on his plate, but he's catching up fast now. He wants to learn.” He leaned back in his seat and stretched, the motion showing off his lean frame. “I've been thinking,” he began, “about what we talked about... I don't want to regret not doing it when I had the chance, and you're right. It's not like I have to choose one thing or the other.”

A kernel of warmth flared in Bill's chest at the idea that his mate wanted to have a child with him. There was a time Bill despaired of living up to the title of father, but those insecurities had faded as his relationship with Brian had strengthened. Together, he and Holden could manage. Bill stood up and walked over to where Holden was sitting.

“Come here, baby,” he said, and Holden stood facing him. “You want to have a baby with me?”

Holden reached out and rested his hands on Bill's waist. “Of course. I love you.” 

Bill smiled at his matter of fact tone, and kissed him, pulling him close. “You're cute. You're right about the timing.” He rubbed his hands over Holden's back. “Things are a lot more stable now, we're both healthy, and there's something to be said for being a little more mature.”

“I think so. The idea would probably scare me more, if it wasn't for Brian.”

“You're a good dad to him.”

“Thanks.” He gave Bill a squeeze. “I'm due for another heat cycle in June.”

“Mmmm...so I get to make you feel good and put a baby in you.” Bill's voice came out in a low rumble.

Holden laughed. “I don't think you could say anything that was more alpha than that.”

“Have I ever claimed to be anything else?”


End file.
